Peace remains elusive in Kurram despite a deal inked between rival tribes, highlighting the state’s failure to enforce its writ in the restive region.
The district’s Bagan region is now in the spotlight, with security forces, including police and the Frontier Corps, launching an operation to seize checkposts and dismantle bunkers. To ensure their safety, locals are evacuating the area, with the provincial government setting up camps for temporarily displaced persons. The plan, per officials, is to secure the road connecting Parachinar to the rest of Pakistan so much-needed humanitarian aid can finally reach the beleaguered populace.
Less than a week earlier, a convoy carrying humanitarian aid was attacked, killing 10 people. The blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement inked after several weeks of effort prompted members of the grand Jirga to demand a probe and action against those openly supporting militants. In a letter to the country’s leadership, they have questioned why security officials deployed to guard the convoy failed to resist the assault. They have also accused state institutions of completely failing to maintain peace.
Unfortunately, the latest failure continues a pattern of conflict that rears its head regularly with multiple attempts at resolution failing to take hold. For decades, Kurram has been a flashpoint of sectarian divisions between Shia and Sunni communities. In 2011, a peace accord had sought to establish a framework for coexistence. It was undermined by sporadic violence and a lack of enforcement, with hostilities resuming after a brief reprieve.
Attempts to enforce peace through military operations have also yielded limited success, as they fail to address the socio-economic grievances and ideological divisions that perpetuate violence. In 2014, Operation Zarb-e-Azb pushed many militants out of Kurram but left a vacuum of governance that erupted in a power struggle among local groups, further destabilizing the area.
Worsening the prevailing situation is the porous Pak-Afghan border, which makes it nearly impossible to contain external influences that exacerbate internal conflicts. Calls for economic development have similarly fallen short, with successive governments failing to ensure equitable distribution of resources. This has deepened the resentment of marginalized communities, fueling the cycle of violence.
What Kurram needs now is long-term vision, enforcement, and genuine engagement with local realities. Breaking the cycle requires more than piecemeal measures; it demands a holistic approach addressing the deep-seated grievances and structural inequities that sustain violence. Until then, the region will remain a tragic reminder of how failure to act decisively can entrench conflict for generations.